Don't Let Me Leave - Valentine's Day
by sangheilitat117
Summary: Weiss Schnee has finally done it. She's graduated from Beacon Academy with full honors, and she's ready to return to Atlas to take up her rightful place alongside her father and run the SDC. The only problem is that she doesn't want to leave. She knows if she leaves, she'll have to leave her heart behind forever.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't let me leave..."

Weiss stared into the mirror, and her furious, tear-streaked face stared right back.

"Don't you let me leave..." she growled again. "Don't you _dare_."

She squeezed her eyes shut, gripped the hem of her skirt, and let out a deep, shuddering breath. When she opened her eyes again they were calm, startlingly blue and confident. There was no trace of the hurt or the desperation she was feeling, no trace of the longing or the pain.

No, in those eyes there was only Weiss Schnee, heiress of Schnee Dust Industries and newly graduated Huntress. Her class had graduated a day ago, and in a few short hours she would board an airship back to Atlas. There, she would take her rightful place by her father's side and truly begin to take the reins of the SDC.

She would leave behind Vale, Beacon, Blake, Yang, all of her friends and teammates. And she would leave behind her partner. She would leave Ruby.

The thought crushed her heart with a hammer-blow. And the pain shone through in her eyes, but only for an instant.

Now her eyes were normal again. There was no trace of what she was feeling.

"After all, that's what I'm best at, right?" she murmured to herself in the mirror. "Hiding my feelings. After all, I'm the loneliest of..."

She broke down again into choked sobs.

* * *

The sun was high and bright in the clear, achingly blue sky.

Birds sang and flitted around the trees that lined the white brick path down to the air station, and the scent of spring was in the air. A gentle breeze blew down the path, carrying a few stray leaves with it. It felt like it was trying to carry her too.

Weiss Schnee, in full SDC regalia – a white suit with brocaded golden epaulettes and silver auguilettes – strode down the path by herself. She didn't carry anything with her; her belongings were already on an airship back to Atlas.

You couldn't tell it by the way she held her head high and her shoulders back. You couldn't tell it by the way she stared dead ahead and frowned like she owned whatever she laid eyes upon. You couldn't tell it by the authority in her step or the way her alabaster hair was done up in a tight bun.

You couldn't tell it from any of that, but she was nearly drowning in despair. Her heart was breaking, and she left behind a tiny piece of it with every step she took. She knew full well what would happen if she left. She would go back to her cold, calculated self, the one she had been before Beacon, and she knew that this time she would stay that way. She wouldn't allow anyone to break the ice around her heart ever again.

She had to physically restrain herself from crying out in rage. This was why she had built that ice in the first place. It took a herculean effort to keep walking forward, to not turn around and run back to find the one person that was the cause of this emotional torture.

But that person apparently didn't even want to see her. Weiss Schnee was very intelligent. She was astute and deductive, and not very much slipped past her. And she _knew_ that Ruby was avoiding her.

And she also knew why. She knew, without a slip of doubt that Ruby Rose was completely, horribly in love with her. Ruby had never told her or made any advances towards her, but she knew it to be true with a cold certainty.

And worse, she was in love with Ruby as well. And as much as she wanted to stay, as much as her heart cried out and her emotions beat themselves bloody trying to get her to just _stop_ and find Ruby, she couldn't.

She could only walk onward, getting closer and closer to the airship that would take her away from Ruby forever.

She couldn't stop because she was Weiss Schnee, heiress of the SDC. She had the honor and the memory of hundreds of her revered ancestors to live up to. She had a destiny to fulfill, one that didn't have room for Ruby in it. Her beloved partner wasn't made for high courts, elitist parties, and all the backstabbing and intrigue of politics.

Ruby was a simpler woman, but that wasn't to say she was simple. It just meant she was far too honest for such a thing. And that was one of the reasons that Weiss loved her.

No, she couldn't stop by herself. She couldn't throw away everything she had because she desired Ruby as her own. That would be selfish, and Weiss Schnee was not a selfish person. She had never done anything in her life simply for herself. Everything had been for other people, either those she owed fealty to or those she cared about.

She couldn't give up her duties as an heiress simply because _she_ wanted Ruby instead.

Now if Ruby came down here, if Ruby ran down the cobblestone path and screamed her name and stopped her... then that would be an entirely different matter.

If Ruby told her what she knew in her heart of hearts to be true - that she loved her - then she would gladly drop everything to be with her. If she was doing this for Ruby instead of herself, she could give up everything and simply be with her. If she was going to give up the mantle of heiress to one of the largest, most powerful, most storied companies in the world to one of her younger sisters, it had to be selfless. An undertaking as monumental and powerful as that had to be for someone else. She was simply too selfless to do it for herself. She _couldn't_ do it for herself.

But she could do it for Ruby.

She fought down hot tears as she continued to walk. The last few hours had been devoid of anyone but herself. She had simply sat in Team RWBY's room, waiting for Ruby to come by and save her from what she desperately didn't want to do.

She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave Ruby. She knew she would miss her horribly, perhaps until the day she died. She would miss her warmth, her smile, the warm tone of her voice, the way her grey eyes sparkled when she was happy.

She would miss the way Ruby was always there for her, the way that the brunette could somehow make her feel like the only person in the world in the midst of a crowd of people. She would miss her honest wit and her bumbling social skills, she would miss her pretty face and her aggravating taste for stawberries. She would even miss the way she fawned over Crescent Rose, even when it made her uncomfortably jealous.

She would miss every single thing about Ruby, the good and the bad, the endearing and the aggravating. And so she had sat there, in their room, waiting for Ruby.

But Ruby never came. Ruby was avoiding her.

And Weiss knew it was because Ruby loved her, and she knew that it was because Ruby didn't want to see her leave as badly as she herself wanted to stay.

She knew that Ruby couldn't bear the sight of her leaving. She knew the younger girl would probably break down in tears. But she didn't care. Because that's all it would take for Weiss to run to her and force her – at bladepoint if need be – to admit her feelings.

And here was the problem.

Weiss needed Ruby to come and stop her, but Ruby couldn't come because she didn't think Weiss could be stopped.

"We're really just the world's two biggest fools, aren't we?" Weiss whispered to herself as she walked. "Hopelessly in love and unable to do anything about it."

Her heeled boots clicked and clacked as the cobblestone path gave way to the marble of the airship pad, a large open space ringed by several small buildings and various sized landing pads for various sized airships.

There was only one airship on the pads right now; most of the students had already left the day before. She had only stayed an extra day to see if Ruby would come to her.

The airship she began walking towards was sparkling white, inordinately expensive, bedecked with silver trim and gold inlay, and proudly displayed the SDC crest on the sides. It was fully automated; all she needed to do was confirm her identity and it would take her back to Atlas with all the speed that a dust combustion engine could manage. Which was quite a lot.

She stopped in front of the small building that managed this particular air-pad, and there was silence. She turned and took one last look behind her, out over the cobblestone path she had walked here on. Despite her best efforts to stop it her heart leapt up into her throat, and she hoped against hope that she would see Ruby running down the path with her stupid cloak flailing out behind her.

But there was nothing. Nobody walked that path today but her. She bit down a sob of despair, hardened her face, and turned the corner of the building.

And stopped dead in her tracks.

Because the figure standing before her, completely covered in a bright crimson cloak could be none other than Ruby.

Weiss was so startled that she actually dropped Myrtenaster. It clattered to the marble then lay there, momentarily forgotten.

"R-Ruby..." Weiss whispered.

"Hey Weiss," was her sombre reply. The younger girl was standing in the shadow cast by the small building, and her body and face were completely concealed by her cloak. The only thing Weiss could see was her mouth.

"Sorry about the cloak and everything," Ruby continued. Her voice would have sounded normal to anyone. Anyone except someone who had been her partner for the last four years. Weiss could hear the hurt and anguish in it as clearly as if Ruby had been screaming.

"I'm like, really sick right now," Ruby muttered. "It kind of hurts being in bright sunlight, so I wore the cloak. But I still came to see you! I didn't want to leave without saying... saying _goodbye_."

Weiss felt her heart break at the way Ruby said that last word. But she also knew Ruby was lying. Her partner had never been able to lie to her.

Part of her was touched by this obvious act that Ruby was putting on for her sake. But the rest of her just wanted to know what Ruby was really feeling. It _needed_ to know.

She closed the distance between them with two swift steps, grasped the edge of Ruby's hood, and pulled it up and off.

And her suspicions were confirmed. Ruby's face was streaked with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy from what had to be hours of crying. Her hair looked like a mess and there were dark circles under her eyes. Apparently no longer able to hold up the facade, Ruby's bottom lip quivered and she dropped her head.

The brunette managed to speak in between hissing sobs. "W-Weiss... I..."

But Weiss was fed up. "Don't!" she screamed. "Don't you dare!" She pressed Ruby up against the wall and pounded her fist against the younger girl's shoulder. Ruby didn't flinch away at all. She didn't make any move to get away. She just stood there and took it, as Weiss beat her fist against her again and again.

"Don't what?" Ruby whispered.

"Don't let me leave! Don't let me go!" Weiss yelled, breaking out in tears of her own. "I k-know what this is doing to you! The thought of me leaving! S-So don't let me!

Ruby looked taken aback. "B-But you have to go... You have to go back to Atlas and take over Schnee Dust."

"Not if you just say it!"

Ruby looked more confused than ever, even with the tears on her face. "S-Say what? I don't know what you want Weiss!"

Weiss pounded her fist into Ruby's shoulder again. Her voice was hoarse from a combination of yelling and trying to manage crying and speaking coherently at the same time. "Just say it! Everything! How you really feel about me!"

"W-What?"

Even in her distraught state, Weiss knew this wasn't working. She knew she had to be direct. So she brought her face inches away from Ruby's, and stared deep and hard into her eyes. Normally they were bright and silver, but today they were storm-cloud grey. They didn't sparkle.

"I'm not stupid," Weiss nearly screamed. "I know how you feel about me! I can see it on your face every time you look at me! I can hear it in your voice when we're alone, when you're not talking to anyone but me!"

Ruby was a faster learner than people gave her credit for. Weiss could tell by the shift in her eyes that she understood.

"But it can't ever work," Ruby whispered. "I'm just Ruby, and you're, you know, you. You have to go back and lead your company. It can't work."

Weiss fought down her anger and focused on remaining calm. "It _can,_ you dolt. It can! All you have to do is tell me to stay! Do you understand now?! I can't do it on my own, I can't force myself to stay here!"

She grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and fought the urge to shake her back and forth. "But if you tell me to stay, if you give me a reason to stay, I can! I'll drop everything, I'll tell my father that Winter can take over! I don't care about them, all I care about is you!"

Ruby stared at her, dumbstruck as Weiss dropped her voice to a whisper. "All I care about is you."

With that, Ruby broke out into fresh sobs. She grabbed Weiss and pulled her into a crushing hug, squeezing her so tight that Weiss thought she might break. She didn't care. It felt good.

"S-Stay then," Ruby muttered into her ear. "Stay with me. Stay."

Weiss fought down fresh tears of her own. "I'll stay. That's all I needed to hear. I'll stay."

"Stay," Ruby whispered over and over again. "Stay. Stay. Stay."

* * *

Several hours later an airship proudly bearing the SDC's logo flew back to Atlas.

But Weiss wasn't in it. She was with Ruby, lying side by side with her on her bed. The brunette's arms were warm and strong from years of wielding Crescent Rose. Weiss felt safe and loved, more-so than she ever had before.

There was this annoying grin on her face that she hadn't been able to get rid of for the past few hours. And as much as she didn't like to smile too often or for too long, she couldn't bring herself to care all that much.

Because she was staying. She was staying with Ruby.

Ruby pulled the blanket a little further up their shoulders, then buried her face in the crook of Weiss' neck with a muffled giggle.

"You know I'm never going to be able to leave you after this, right?" Weiss whispered.

Ruby's answer tickled her with the movement of her mouth. "I don't see a problem with that," the brunette mumbled. "I'm totally fine with you staying forever."

Weiss struggled not to laugh from the way Ruby's lips were tickling her neck. She gently pushed the brunette away, eliciting another giggle from her. Weiss smirked, and they both lay their heads down on a pillow and stared at eachother.

"Ooh, how romantic," Ruby chuckled. "Hey uh, I got something for you though." She reached under her tank top and pulled out a necklace with a locket attached to it. She fingered it nervously. "I uh, I was gonna give this to you, so you'd have something to remember me by. It seems pretty lame now though..."

Weiss gently took it, savoring the coolness of the metal on her skin, which was quite warm from Ruby's embrace. She opened the locket, and inside was a picture of the two of them together. And they were both actually smiling. Her heart suddenly felt like it was going to burst.

She looked up at Ruby and saw that the younger girl wouldn't quite meet her gaze. "Ruby, thank you so much for this. It means more than you think it does."

Ruby smiled, but it seemed halfway forced. "Yeah, I know."

Her placating words aside, Weiss could see that Ruby's eyes were still slightly puffy, and she hesitantly reached up and rested her hand on the brunette's cheek. "No more crying over me, okay?" she whispered. "We're together now. You don't need to be sad anymore."

Ruby let out a long, shuddering breath, then reached out in turn and brushed a finger over Weiss' scar. The almost too intimate action had her close her eyes and draw in a sharp breath. She opened them again to find Ruby staring at her with evident and touching concern. She was glad, more than ever, that someone truly cared about her.

"Sorry," Ruby whispered. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"N-No," Weiss replied. "It's fine. I'm just still not used to being this close to another person, even if it's you."

Ruby's expression turned jealous, but Weiss could still see a glimmer of humor in her eyes. "It had better be me. Do you know how much it hurt to watch Neptune hit on you all those times and not be able to say anything?"

Weiss took one of Ruby's hands, brought it up in front of her face, and kissed it on the palm. "Well don't worry. I'm all yours now. I'll tell my father that Winter will take control in my stead, and we'll do whatever it is newly graduated Huntresses do."

Ruby grinned. "Kill Grimm, save people and eat cookies and strawberries?"

Weiss laughed, which was something she hadn't done in a long time. It felt good, like little butterflies were escaping from her stomach. "Maybe just the first two you dunce."

"Aww, no fun," Ruby pouted. "But if it's cookies or you, I guess I'm gonna hafta go with you."

Weiss raised a white eyebrow. "Really? I mean that much to you?"

Ruby looked hesitant for a second. But then she took a deep breath, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to Weiss'. Her blue eyes went wide with shock and for a second she didn't move. But she quickly got over the initial fear and hesitation and cupped Ruby's face with her hands, pulling her in and deepening the kiss. Ruby moaned into it, and the sound of it seemed to fill the room.

After what seemed like forever - but must have only been a few seconds - they broke it off, and Weiss opened her eyes again to find Ruby staring at her with the biggest smile she had ever seen. The sparkle was back in her eyes too.

"First kiss?" Ruby whispered.

Weiss pressed her face to the younger girl's chest so that she wouldn't see the giant blush on her face. "Of course it was you dunce," she whispered back.

Ruby giggled, wrapped her arms around Weiss, and pulled her closer. The embrace was warm and strong, and Weiss reveled in the feeling of closeness and intimacy with her partner and best friend.

"Good, cuz it was mine too," Ruby muttered.

They were silent for a while, and Weiss simply held Ruby close, listening to her gentle breathing and steady heartbeat. Weiss was a concert singer, and was very picky when it came to music. But the twin sounds of Ruby's breathing and heartbeat combined was, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

"You're going to be here when I wake up, right Ruby?" she whispered.

Ruby kissed her on the cheek, then the nose, then the lips. "Of course. I'm not going anywhere."

Weiss smiled and kissed her back.

She drew back and gazed at Ruby's face, at the gentle curve of her lips, at the sparkle in her silver eyes, and the way her mouth moved as she said: "And neither are you."

* * *

_**Please review, and I hope you enjoyed it.  
**_


	2. Valentine's Day

Lazy clouds floated through the city streets of Arae, or _Stadt im Himmel_ in Old Atlesian. In Vale, they called it the City in the Sky.

The streets were narrow and winding, but not constricting in the slightest; moreso they were snug and comfortable. Laughing children ran through them, making a game out of avoiding the clouds drifting through. Emporiums and vendors snuggled into the walls advertised bargains, customers haggled and purchased, and street vendors handed out bowls of Arae's famous soups. Many of them could only be brewed in the thin air at this high of an altitude.

Arae was the pride of Atlas, with walls as white as snow, foundations as strong as the mountains it perched upon, streets shining like burnished gold, and people as welcoming as any you would find in the countryside. Twisting walkways and steep staircases bedecked with rippling flags and banners opened up to gardens and bustling plazas, all with magnificent views of the sea of clouds drifting by below them. The horizon was a pristine blue, while up above the sky turned violet as one gazed up into the stratosphere.

In one of Arae's many open air cafes, Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee sat at a table for two enjoying the midday sun, a fresh breeze, and a bowl of hot soup.

"I jusht can't shay thish enough," Ruby said with a mouthful of warm bread. She swallowed, then continued. "This place is freaking amazing. Seriously, like..." She made a broad sweeping gesture with her hands. "Just wow."

Weiss smiled. She noticed that they – smiles – were occurring much more frequently. "Don't talk with your mouth full. It's bad manners. But I agree, this is my favorite city in the world."

Ruby smiled back and blew on her soup to cool it down. Tendrils of steam rose from her bowl, twisting and curling in the air. "Yeah, I can see why. You grew up here?"

Weiss shook her head. "I actually grew up further north, in a city called Rossenchfaust. It's the SDC's unofficial headquarters, but it's also where my father works out of. I'm glad that he picked this city for this business with Winter and I though."

"How's that going, anyway?" Ruby questioned.

Weiss took a sip of her own soup, taking a second to enjoy it's sharpness and fragrance. "It's going fine. Most of the rights and titles I held as heiress have already been transferred over to Winter, and I can tell she's quite pleased with herself. She always wanted to be father's special little girl, and she was always jealous of me. Now it's finally her turn in the spotlight, and she's taken to it with gusto."

"And what about your dad?" Ruby asked.

"He actually told me he saw this coming. Something about the way we looked at eachother the last time I brought you home." Weiss frowned. "Am I really that easy to read?"

Ruby smirked. "Apparently to some people. I didn't really notice anything. I didn't think we would ever be more than friends."

Weiss traced a pattern into the tablecloth with her finger. "We almost weren't..."

Ruby's aimed a reassuring smile at her, and it shot a thrill through her heart. "Yeah, but we are now."

A not-completely awkward silence fell.

Weiss sipped her soup until Ruby spoke again. "So uh, how much longer are we here for anyway?"

"You needn't worry about that; most of the tedious ceremonies are over so all that's left is the paperwork, and that should only keep us another week or so."

Ruby bent down to sip her soup and gazed up at Weiss. "And then what?"

Weiss smiled again. "And then we run away together. Go somewhere warm. Maybe have an adventure in Vacuo, just like the huntresses of old."

Ruby giggled. "That sounds awesome. You still have access to your family's money and stuff?"

"I'm still a Schnee," Weiss replied with a nod. "The only thing that changed is the order of succession."

"Just so you can be with me, huh." Ruby blushed and looked down at her soup. "I still think it's pretty crazy, what you did."

The former heiress raised an eyebrow. "And what, exactly, did I do?"

Ruby made a strange gesture with her hands. "You, you know, like, gave it all up. For me. That's like, the most powerful company in the world with all kinds of crazy money and power, and I'm just... me."

Weiss reached over the table and took Ruby's hands with her own. "Ruby Rose, listen to me. You are my partner in more ways than one. I have grown so much in these past four years; I can honestly say that I am a far better person than I was. And it's all because of you. You, Ruby, are more precious to me than all the money and power in the world."

Ruby's face went red, and she smiled so hard that Weiss thought the girl's face might shatter. "Thanks Weiss," she whispered. "I love you too."

"I – I didn't say that, I mean, I-"

Ruby giggled and held up a hand. "It's fine. You don't have to say it. I know how you have trouble with that kind of thing. Open affection and all that."

"I'm sorry," Weiss replied. "I want to say it, but whenever I try the words get caught up in my throat in a strange way. I suppose I'm just scared. In the upper echelons of Atlas, no one comes together for love. It's all for wealth, power, or an increase in status. An arranged marriage might be the difference between your company prospering or failing."

"No one ever..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "No one ever loves eachother."

Ruby beamed at her. "Well I do. I love you Weiss."

Weiss fought off a blush and turned her attention to the horizon. "I know. What does Yang think of all this?"

"Nice topic change," Ruby replied with a smirk. "She's good, I think. I can tell she's a little mad at me for leaving so soon, and at you for uh, stealing me away. But she's with Blake so she'll be fine."

"Hmm," Weiss replied. "So how are you liking Atlas? And don't just say 'it's awesome.'"

"Funny thing you should say that," Ruby laughed.

From there the conversation devolved into small talk and playful banter, but it was pleasant nonetheless. After all the dull meetings and overbearing ceremonies Weiss had been in lately, she found that an easy conversation with Ruby was the unexpected solution to the stress that had been building up.

The lunch drew to a close and Weiss sat there holding Ruby's hand, enjoying it's warmth. Ruby's hand was calloused from the textured grip of Crescent Rose's haft, but it wasn't overly rough. And her grip was the most gentle thing Weiss had ever felt, like she was afraid of hurting her, or shattering her.

"So uh," Ruby asked, "we gonna have dinner together tonight? I mean, unless you're busy with more meetings or whatever."

Weiss smiled at Ruby's nervousness. They had been dating for a few weeks and had been partners for years, but the way Ruby always thought of her first and foremost was still refreshing in it's own way.

"Actually," Weiss replied, "I'm free tonight. I have to set up a transfer of accounts with my father and his bank, to make sure the primary accounts don't keep getting rerouted to me. That shouldn't take too long, unless the bank drags their feet, which I'm sure they will. So I should be open for a late dinner?"

"Yeap, that's fine," Ruby replied with a quick nod and a smile. "Thanks for lunch by the way, this place was great."

Weiss gave Ruby's hand a squeeze. "You're welcome. Thanks for being here with me."

* * *

Several hours later, Weiss found herself in the midst of a throng of people in one of Arae's large public squares. The surrounding shops and stores were all closing for the day, and people were making last minute purchases, packing up their wares, and going home. Night was on the cusp of falling, and the sky was purple-black with a crown of stars shining through at the top. Orange dust lamps lit the streets with a warm glow, fighting against the chill of the night.

She finally found Ruby standing at the edge of the crowd, wearing an endearingly cute red hourglass dress and a cream jacket. The excitable brunette had had a lot of free time and a lot of Weiss' money lately, and Arae boasted some of the most upscale clothing designers in Atlas. The taller woman was standing on her tip-toes and peering apprehensively into the crowd. Weiss came at her from the side, so she didn't notice until the older woman tapped her on the shoulder.

"Weiss!" Ruby squealed, and immediately pulled her into a warm hug. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, and Weiss got a face-full of Ruby's well-endowed chest. Not that she was complaining.

"Hi Ruby," Weiss replied. "Seems you're happy to see me."

"Well dur! I missed you!"

"Dunce, I was only gone for seven hours."

Ruby pulled back and looked down at her with pout. "Seven hours is way too long. I think a thirty minute max should be the rule from now on."

Weiss chuckled and pushed back into the hug and nuzzled into the crook of Ruby's neck, eager to stave off the biting chill of the air. "I'll see if I can work that into my schedule," she replied. "Are you ready to eat dinner?"

"Well obviously. I didn't get dressed up like this for nothing!" Ruby stepped back and did a little twirl, sending the edges of her dress spinning like a top. It flared up, and Weiss had to fight down a blush as she got a view of the bare skin above Ruby's sheer black stockings.

She grabbed Ruby's hand and began making her way through the crowd towards the restaurant on the other side of the square.

"Why are we going so fast?" Ruby laughed.

"Because I don't want us to miss our reservations!" Weiss shouted back over the crowd.

It was really, of course, just because she didn't want Ruby to see her blush.

* * *

With a spot up against the window that made up one entire wall of the restaurant – which Weiss had of course reserved – the two women were treated to a gorgeous view of the horizon and the setting sun as it sank into a sea of clouds.

The table was small but elaborate, with all the proper settings. A small vase with a single rose inside sat next to a slowly burning candle that gave off the scent of vanilla.

"Did you do that?" Ruby asked, as she pointed at the rose.

"Maybe," Weiss replied. "You'll never know."

Ruby grinned. "You totally did."

Weiss looked at her sidelong. "I'm really that easy to figure out, huh?"

"You didn't used to be, but now you kinda are," the brunette giggled. "Just for me though."

Weiss smiled and took laid her hand atop Ruby's.

The dinner went much as Weiss had hoped. Ruby was fantastic company, the quality of the food was impeccable, and the atmosphere was just as romantic as one could ask for. But something seemed off, something with Ruby.

The younger girl seemed almost... nervous. It seemed like Ruby had difficulty meeting her eyes. She played with her hair and her food, and occasionally even bit a nail. She mumbled parts of her sentences, and one time she ever stared out through the window for almost half a minute before Weiss asked her what was wrong. And of course her answer had been "nothing."

It was at the end of the dinner, when the sun had long set and the waiter had already taken away their plates when Ruby finally started to say something.

"So uh, I... uh, never mind." Ruby looked sheepish and scratched the back of her neck. "Hey uh, actually do you wanna take a walk outside? Before we go back to our rooms?"

Weiss glanced down at the suit she was wearing, judging how it would hold up against the cold. Thankfully, the interior was lined with a warm material. "I suppose."

She looked up at Ruby, and noticed how happy the younger girl looked at that moment. Her silver eyes and the crimson tips of her hair shone in the candlelight.

"Actually Ruby," she reconsidered, as she picked up the rose in the vase, "I'd love to go for a walk with you. That sounds perfect right now."

She slid the rose into Ruby's hair above her left ear, the brunette's smile grew, and Weiss' felt her heart melt.

* * *

The air was freezing, but thankfully Weiss herself wasn't. Ruby's arm was slung around her shoulder, pulling her close as they meandered aimlessly together through one of Arae's expansive gardens.

The moon was only a milky sliver in the sky, but the stars themselves were bright and twinkling. If one focused, they might even make out the blurry, multicolored smears of distant nebulae and galaxies.

They strolled past rows of carefully cultivated trees and flower bushes, their buds closed against the chill. The fact that they lived at all was a testament to Atlesian flowers; only the hardiest bloomed at an altitude this high. Eventually they ended up at the edge of the garden: a white railing that kept one from plummeting over the side of a sheer rock wall.

Weiss glanced over the edge, and a chill ran down her spine as she saw that the drop ended in a brightly-lit plaza almost half a kilometer below.

"Yeesh, this sure is high," Ruby muttered. "How long did it take to build this city anyway?"

"Multiple generations," Weiss replied. "Several hundred years. But it's been around since the beginning of Atlas, or at least the foundations have. Arae is constantly building up and out, so I expect it'll be even larger in another century."

Ruby let out a long breath. "Wow."

Silence fell and Weiss leaned against Ruby, taking in as much of her warmth as she could. The wind whistled through the artificial canyon created by the buildings around them, and they watched as the lights in homes and stores started winking out around them, one by one. But for every light that disappeared, another appeared in the sky above them as the darkness deepened.

As the silence stretched on Ruby tensed like she was bracing for something, and while Weiss didn't know what was bothering her, she pressed herself a little closer to her girlfriend anyway. She hoped it would reassure her.

"So uh, I got you something," Ruby started nervously. She reached into the pocket of her jacket with shaking hands, and drew out something that shone in the starlight. As Weiss peered closer, she realized that it was a silver necklace with a blooming rose as a pendant, masterfully crafted in multifaceted rubies.

Its beauty stole her breath away. "Ruby... this is..."

Ruby looked away. "I know, it's kinda bad. I don't really have a lot of money though, and all the stores around here are really expensive. I kinda did my best, and I mean it did take me the last whole week to find something I might be good for you." She ran a shaking hand through her hair. "I mean I know you could get me something much better and way prettier, so I wanted to get something that would have like, some meaning, and I wanted this to be kind of personal since I really really super love you, and even though it sucks it's-"

Before she could continue, Weiss grabbed her by the collar of her jacket and pulled her in for an ardent kiss. Ruby's eyes went wide, but then fluttered shut as she laid a hand on the back of Weiss' head and pulled her closer.

For a precious few moments, they were the only things that existed. All there was for her was Ruby, her warmth, her closeness, the intimacy and the love she felt. Ruby had become the most important thing to her a long time ago, and it had been almost overwhelmingly painful to try and bury those affections. Now, it felt indescribable to finally be able to express those feelings.

They pressed their lips together over and over, but a question burning in her mind made her pull back before things could get more heated. She had a nagging sensation that she had forgotten something, and it grew stronger with each passing second.

"Ruby," she asked after catching her breath, "what exactly is this for? Is there an occasion?"

"Well, yeah," Ruby replied with a smirk. "I mean, it's Valentines day after all."

Weiss' heart stopped.

She had forgotten. She had _forgotten_ Valentine's day, her first with Ruby, the first one she actually had a chance to make meaningful. The first Valentine's day she actually wanted to be able to remember, and it had slipped her mind like sand through her fingers.

She looked off into the distance, mind scrambling to come up with a solution, and she was vaguely aware of Ruby staring into her eyes with a confused expression. All the stores were closed now. Jewelry stores closed early anyway, as did florists. Flowers from the garden? No, Ruby was here. She would see. It was if her mind was trapped in a maze, and every path she went down turned into a dead end. There was no way out of this situation. She had to face the consequences.

Ruby would be angry with her, and rightfully so. But she would also be let down and disappointed, and that killed Weiss more than anything. She might even frown. Frowns didn't belong anywhere near Ruby's face; she didn't know if she could handle that.

"Uh... Weiss?"

"I forgot," the former heiress whispered.

"What?"

"I..." she gripped the railing tightly. "I forgot."

Ruby's face went blank for a moment, but then she started laughed. "Oh man, that's it? I was like, totally worried for a second there."

Weiss spun to face her. She was furious, but only at herself. "What do you mean, 'that's it?' How can you say that!"

"It's no big deal Weiss," Ruby murmured. Her expression turned remorseful in the face of Weiss' misplaced anger. "I mean, it's really not a big deal at all. You can just get me something tomorrow."

The smaller girl stamped her foot down. "Ruby, it _is_ a big deal! We're only two weeks and three days into this relationship, and I can remember how many days we've been together, but I can't remember something as important as Valentine's day? The day where couples are supposed to go all out and show the other person how much they mean to them? I _failed_ Ruby, I _failed_ you. How is any of that excusable?"

Ruby smiled at her like nothing was wrong, and Weiss' heart skipped a double-beat. "Because I'm excusing it silly," the brunette replied. "If you didn't forget,_ I'm _the other person in this relationship. I'm the one that would get mad or anything. And I already forgive you, so it's not a big deal."

Ruby stepped forward and pulled her into a wonderfully smothering hug. Weiss was too stunned to return it, and her arms simply hung at her side.

"But..." she whispered, "this is the most important day for couples."

She cleared her throat before speaking. Clearly Ruby didn't understand the reverence she held for this day, so she would have to help her understand. She brought her arms up and returned the hug before speaking.

"You see Ruby, even in my father's courts where love and romance were just paltry jokes that the poor folk stooped to, the nobles, they always placed great reverence on showing appreciation for someone on Valentine's day. If you wanted to gain favor with someone, you serenaded them with songs and showered them with the most expensive gifts you could afford. And even though it was supposed to all be just a sham, a fake, I could tell that some of the gifts were in earnest."

Ruby simply listened, but started rubbing slow circles into the small of her back. It was wonderfully pleasant and relaxing.

"Some of the songs actually, truly had emotion behind them. I could tell. It's always been one of my favorite days, but I _never_ hoped I would actually find a person to spend it with, someone I truly cared about. I secretly wished that one day I would get to shower someone with gifts, and serenade them with sweet songs but... I forgot. The first time I've actually had the chance to truly celebrate Valentine's day, I completely forgot about it. I'm... I'm so sorry Ruby. I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

Ruby drew her head back so that they could look at eachother, but didn't break the embrace. Weiss was nearly struck dumb by how Ruby could still smile gently at her after all that. She was truly a treasure: this girl who was so perfectly kind and honest to her when she didn't necessarily deserve it.

"It's fine Weiss," Ruby said. "I didn't realize how much it meant to you, but honestly, the only present I really want is you. This might sound weird, but the perfect gift is that I get to have you with me, and that you didn't go running off to Atlas and you know," Ruby's expression slipped a notch, "leave me behind and everything."

Weiss reached a hand up and cupped the taller girl's cheek. "Oh Ruby..." she whispered.

Ruby smiled. Then her eyes went wide, and she stepped back. "Oh, right! The necklace, can I uh, can I put it on you?"

Weiss nodded her assent and turned around, and Ruby stepped behind her and gently pulled the chain around her neck before fastening it closed.

"There! Turn around Weiss, I wanna see how it looks on you!"

The former heiress chuckled and complied. Ruby's mouth went into an 'o' when she saw the necklace on Weiss' collar.

"Oh holy cow, that's so beautiful... kinda like you," Ruby continued absentmindedly.

Weiss blushed, still unused to how openly and honestly Ruby complimented her.

Ruby stood up straight. "Welp, it looks perfect on you! I mean all jewelry looks great on you no matter what, but that one just fits. It's a rose too, so you can think of me and stuff."

"I always think of you Ruby," Weiss replied honestly. "That's why I'm so surprised that I forgot about Valentine's day.

Ruby stuck out her tongue. "Eh, it's really not a big deal. You were busy and all that. Besides, there's always next year!"

Ruby said it like it was an immutable fact, something that would happen as surely as the sun would rise in the morning, and it made Weiss' heart flutter.

"Oh and... Well, uh," Ruby continued nervously, "you wanted to like, serenade me, or whatever? Right? Like they did back in your dad's courts and stuff?"

"I suppose," Weiss replied. "It _was_ always something I'd wanted to do if I ever found someone who was worth it."

Ruby shuffled her feet and looked at the ground. "Oh. Well um, am I? You know, worth it?"

Weiss moved a step closer to her. "What? Of course you're worth it Ruby, I wouldn't be here giving up the rights to the SDC otherwise."

Ruby glanced up at her, then around at the garden. "Well I mean, there's not really anyone here but us. So if you wanted to uh, serenade me, that'd be cool." Ruby shook her head, then tried again. "Ugh, that sounded weird. I mean, uh Weiss? Could you please sing for me?"

The former heiress lost the power of speech for a few seconds. "O-Of course! Of course I'll sing for you!"

Ruby grinned and scratched the back of her neck. "Thanks. I really love your singing."

Weiss felt her expression soften. "I'll have to sing more often for you then." She glanced around at the garden, looking for a suitable spot. "Do you want to go back to the hotel, or..."

"No I mean, would it be okay if we did it here? It's really pretty out tonight."

"I suppose this location is acceptable then," Weiss replied, trying to sound aloof. In reality, her pulse was racing and her heart felt like it would beat its way out of her chest.

She had sung in front of crowds before, but the thought of singing with Ruby being the sole member of the audience? It was uncharacteristically distressing, made moreso by the fact that she was terrifyingly in love with the younger girl.

Weiss cleared her throat and stepped closer to the railing, choosing to gaze out at the shadowed horizon. This would be easier if she didn't have to look at Ruby while she sang. For some incomprehensible reason she was scared that she would mess up, even though she was a world-class singer and normally had utter confidence in her abilities. But the strangeness of the fear wasn't making it go away.

She already knew what song she would sing; she had secretly wanted to sing this song for Ruby for a long time now.

She froze when Ruby suddenly embraced her from behind. The younger girl wrapped her strong arms around Weiss' waist and pulled her gently back to lean against the her chest.

"Okay," Ruby whispered, her voice filling Weiss' senses. "I'm ready."

The former heiress smiled. Suddenly, the fear and nervousness was gone. Ruby's warm body pressed up against hers told her that no matter what, the brunette would love it. No matter what, everything would be alright. Ruby had always possessed the strange ability to make her feel that way. When she was with Ruby, it was if nothing was wrong with the world. Colors were brighter, laughs more genuine, smiles warmer.

She paused for a second longer, taking a moment to reflect on just how much she loved the girl whose arms she was in, the girl who had become her entire world. She might not be able to say the words themselves just yet, but she thought she might be able to work them into the song.

Then she opened her mouth and began to sing.

* * *

_**Happy Valentine's day!**_

_**If you're a tumblr user, check out the blog "whiteroselovers." We just launched today, and are comprised of a bunch of Whiterose-loving artists and writers. We'll post art and stories, take submissions, stuff like that. If you need your Whiterose fix, it's a fair bet you'll get it there.** _

**_Kumo be my Valentine :D_**


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